SLT City and Locals oppose speed limit increase

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Numerous businesses and organizations, including the South Lake Tahoe City Council, have stepped up opposition to a Caltrans plan to raise the speed limit on sections of U.S. Highway 50 through Meyers and South Lake Tahoe.

Caltrans presented its findings from speed surveys done throughout town at the Tuesday city council meeting. The speed study, done in 2009, calls for increases of 5 mph on at least five sections of the highway at the South Shore.

According to California law, speed limits for any given area are based on a number of factors, including a speed survey no more than 5 to 10 years old, safety concerns and the number of accidents in the area. The speed survey measures the average speed of drivers in “free-flowing” traffic through the section of road.

Currently, speed limits on Highway 50 through South Lake Tahoe and Meyers are out of date. Because of this, law enforcement must revert to maximum speed limits on state highways, 55 mph on a two-lane highway and 65 mph on a four-lane highway, though officers can pull drivers over for driving faster than is safe for certain conditions.

“They can legally go those speeds,” California Highway Patrol spokesman Jeff Gartner said. “But we're encouraging people to obey the posted speed limits. It's for the safety of them and the community.”